Objective: To establish the level of independence of the older adult in carrying out the basic activities of daily living of institutionalized older adults. Methods: A quantitative investigation was carried out with a population of 112 older adults, who entered the study as part of the sample, 41 of them, distributed according to gender as 16 women and 25 men. On the other hand, the age range with the highest prevalence in the sample of older adults is between 75 and 84 years old. With the review of medical records and the application of the Barthel index. Results: in the activities of daily life and the level of dependency that is progressive, which leads the older person to a level of dependency that increases with age. The prevalence of these changes can be evidenced by determining the pathologies of Hypertension and Arthritis in the sample. Conclusions: The level of independence in the performance of daily life activities was qualified as independent in less than half of the older adults in the sample.